Adirondack Scenic Railroad’s leader to leave for job in Washington state

UTICA, N.Y. — Bethan Maher, executive director of the Adirondack Rail Preservation Society for the last half decade, is leaving the organization to work at another historic railroad in Washington state.

The Adirondack Rail Preservation Society operates the Adirondack Scenic Railroad, a tourism attraction that links the Mohawk Valley and the Adirondack Olympic Region of New York state.

Maher is departing to head up the Mount Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum in Elbe, Washington — about 20 miles from Mount Rainier, according to a news release from the Adirondack Rail Preservation Society.

Ridership on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad has risen more than 60 percent in the five and a half years Maher has been executive director, according to the society.

“Bethan has made an enormous contribution to the success of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad,” said Bill Branson, chairman of the railroad’s board, adding that she will be hard to replace. “This new challenge is a compliment to Bethan’s work ethic and the success she has helped to make happen in our operations in the Mohawk Valley and the Adirondacks,” he adds.

A search for new leadership has begun, according to Branson.

Mount Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum, where Maher is headed, is part of the American Heritage Railways. That company operates three railroads, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad and Mount Rainier Railroad.

The Adirondack Rail Preservation Society says it has been at the forefront of efforts to preserve railroading in the Adirondack Park, fighting in court to prevent the state from tearing up railroad tracks to convert rail beds to hiking and biking trails.

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Photo credit: Adirondack Rail Preservation Society